Apparatus for concentrating solutions by freezing.



E. MONTI. APPARATUS roa oonczmanmu SOLUTIONS BY FREEZING.

APPLXUATIOI TILED 11.20, 1807.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

6 BHESTB-BBEET 2 q/vU vwoaw 1:. MONTI. APPARATUS FOR concnmamm soLu'nons BY rannzmc.

LIOATIOI TILED MAR. 20, 1907. 955,659, Patented Apr.19,19l0 0 8 T 1! E. MONTI. APPARATUS FOR comcwmnmo SOLUTIONS BY FREEZING.

APPLIOATIOI FILED HAR.20,1907. 955,659, Patented Apr. 19, WW.

6 BHEBTS-BBEET 4.

awm Mon 'n. moan. APPARATUS FOR COHGEHTBATING BOLUTIONE BY FRBEZIHG.

APPLIOATIOI FILED IAB.20.1907.

Patented Apr. W, 11910.

e sums-sum a.

5 2////4wi///%///A w7///////% HU M MONTI. APPIATUB FOB OOROEBTKATIIG BOLU'I'IOIB B! FREEZING.

. AI'ILXOLI'XOI "LID Ill. 80. 1.07.

955,659. Patented Apr. 19, mo.

0 lIIlTl-IIIST 6.

EUDO KONG-I, 0F TURN, ITALY.

APPABATUB'I'OB CONCIIITRATINO SOLUTIONS BY FREEZING.

lpaetlaattea of Letters l'ateat.

Patented Apr. 19,1910.

Application lied larch .0, i001. lertal Io. 388,588.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I Euoo Moan, a sub- 'ect of the King of ltaly and resident of Iurin, Italy, have invented certain new and useful improvements in up 'tratus for concentrating solutions h frcezin and systematicall displacing t 1e solub e1 substances from t ie ice-crystals, of which the following is a specification.

' The present invention has for its object some improvements in the apparatus for concentrating solutions by freezing as protected by my prior, Patent No. 701,387 dated May 81st 1904 also h my intent application No. 285936 tiled A ovem r 4th 1905, in which apparatus the cooling and the freezing of the solution to be concentrated are cffccted by digtct expansion of a COIIIPNSrBd cooled and liquefied gas in pipes immersed in the solution to be eoncentrated. Said apparatus allows the operator to obtain with the same consumption of one. a much lower temperature than b' the circulation of refrigerated brine an is therefore to be referred for concentrating solutions w \ose freezing point is original low or for reconcentratm solutions alrea v concentrated by means 0 flapper-ates in which refrigerated brine is u The most im iortant im rovements consist substantially: In the s tape and structure of the freezing tanks which though of a very large size may he ctmstructrsl o rcintorctal concrete, wooden planks coated with tar or other cheap materials to suit circumstances and the nature of the solution to be concentrated. 2. In the use of electrically welded or otherwise soldered straight iron, steel or copper pipes. varnished or coated with tar,

tinned or galvanized as required by the nature of the solution to be concentrated as hereinafter described the result being to obtain the oven congeiation of large quantities of solutions by means-of very extensive exchanging surfaces at the lowest cost.

The present improvements consist further in the use, in combination with the concentrating apparatus hereinafter described, of

the an'angcment described and claimed in .m co-pendin patent application, Sor. No. 3t t,527, s-nii'iiting me to obtain, during the d phu-euu-ut, a regular and even spraying o the frozen mass with the more and more diluted displacing solutions and furthermore allowing eventually the displacement to take place in an atmosphere of an inert gas tcavier than air.

Another improvement consists further in the )eculiar arrangement and ma e of the distributing cocks and valves allowing me to regulate easily the pressure of the gas evaporating in the different ranges of pipes,' also to alternate in the same )ipes the evaporation of the cooled liquefied gas under controllable pressure with the circulation of the still lukewarm compressed gas comin from the condenser as hereinafter descri Another of the present improvements consists in the 'encral arrangement of the apparatus in t 10 case of an installation comprising several freezing tanks, in such a way as to fully, utilize the heat-absorption occasioned by melting of the ice separated b a previous operation, for the further coo ing of the already liquefied gas coming from the condenser, or for the relilninary refrigeration of the solution to iie concentrated or of the displacing solution.

Another improvement consists in the application to the direct expansion apparatus of means allowing the circulation o warm s in the freezing pipes in order to soften iiihard ice coating on said pl operating the displacement as. a ready described and claimed in my ap ilicatton No.

before- {363,527, while the melting of t o denrated ice is measioned by means of. cool water, which after having been cooled to about its freezing point is used in an ihterehanger either to root the lukewarm condensed gin coming from the tamdenaor or to. cool t 0 solutions to he frozen in another tank or the dis )lacing solutions if necessary.

in tic annexed drawings I have shown some mmstrurtional forms of my ap ratus and a complete plant comprising a ttery offrmming tanks.

Figure I is a plan view of a freea|ng tank; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal ll'tlolt of 'line --u.u'-- of Fig. 1; Pi 3 is a vertical cross section of the tank oft half on hue ---b.hof Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section of the tank on line --:.r-- of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an end view of the tank: Fig. 6 is a partially sectioned side view of a Is trihuter of the ;as under pressure to the tank tube batteries in order to control the gas evpnnsion; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sec- -of the mass to be partially sectionctiof a collector of the gas distribution tion of said distribnter on line J.nof Fig. i. Fig. 8 is in cross section of same on line ---e.c--- of Fla. ti; Fig. 9 is a sale new to the ditl'erent tanlt's o a ilaut. Fig. it) is a longitudinal section 115.. inc of Fig. 9. Fig. It is a cross section on same line .gof Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a plan diagrammatic view of a plant. of a battery of tour freezing tanks fed by a single compressor.

The freezing tank -I- (Figs. L5) is of reinforced concrete or any other suitable material. inside the tank, longitudinally arranged in horizontal )lanes are a large number of straight. metallic tubes ---.2. of steel or other suitable. material. and varnished or coated inside and outside with tar or other suitable material. The tubes -2.3 are curved at their ends and soldered together in the same plane electrically or in any other suitable way, so that-the unite. many single tulws---2.Zt-er plane coi s unule'np of straight tubes arranged in as many horizontal planes, (Fig. 2.) The tubes '.3 constituting as a whole the plane coils ---....3'- of the difl'erent planes are disposed one to another in 'ronps as ieprmcnted in Fig. 3. In the pdanc coils -';'.3--- formed by the straight tubes, and which are. advantaguinsly substituted for the freezing coils spirally coiled which were used in the a paratus described in my prior applications 1 223919 and 285936. the expansion of the gas coming from the compressor is etiected.

In order to obtain an even congelation of the liquid mass held in the tank, the tubes or plane coils -.2.3-- are arranged as follows: The inlet ends of the coils -2-- are situated on the left side at the front end of the tank (see the lower left hand portion of Fig. 1) while the outlet ends of the same coils are on the right side at the back end of said tank, (see the upper right hand [)Ol'tlull of Fig. l) on the contrary for the coils -3-, arranged in an equal number of planes intermediate between the planes of the coils .2--, the inlet ends are on the .right side, of the frontend of the tank, while their outlet ends terminate at the back end of the tank, on the left side. Owing to this arrangement, the. How of the refrigerating gas in the planes of coils and go from left to right for the. coils --:2

and vice-versa from right to left for the coils -3. In this way an even refrigeration frozen contained in the tank is evidently obtained everywhere. in order to obtain an even refrigeration even at. the tank ends where the coil ends come out, said ends are arranged in such a way as to obtain the most uniform arrangement of the tubes. Said arrangement is shown in Figs. 1, 2 in plan and side \lLW respectively and in end view in Fig. 4, in which has been illustrated the manner in which the inlet ends of coils 2.3 are arranged. The ends of coils -2-, inside the tank, are bent horizontally at -2- and then vertically at -2 so that the parts -2" be equally distant from one another aiizarranged in the same plane; in the sum ay the ends of coils --13- are bent horizontally at 3 then vertically at --3"--, so that the ants ----t"- are also equall distant and in he same plane, different rom that in which are disposed the parts -2"- (Figs. 1, 2.) In-a similar manner are arm the outlet ends of coils -2.3- at the ot. er end of the tank. It will be understood that this arrangement has been described only by way of example and that it may be varied according to want. The ends of coils --2.3 come outside the tank and their inlet branches --2'-- and -3'-- respectively are disposed at the outside on the front face of the tank as illustrated in Fig. 5. The other outlet branches -2'.3- are. disposed on the other face, the back one, of the tank in a similar way as illustrated in Fig. 5. The branches -2 -3" terminate separately in two distribute; 4'-5'-, the construction of which will be hereafter explained, cocks --6.7'-- controlling the gas ex ansioa in each plane coil -2-- or 3. he two distribntcrs are connected by means of tubes 8'-- with a single distributer 9, into which goes the inlet pi 12- from the source of the comp gab; said distributer -t)', by means of its cocks -10'.11'- and tubes ---8' rmits the connection of one or the other 0 the distributera -4'.5'- or both at a time with the tube --12-. In a similar way the outlet branches -2'.8'- at the other tank end terminate in two collectora -4.5"- similar to -4'.5'- which are provided with controlling cocks -(Y'.7-, connected with a sin 10 collector -9 from which starts the discharging tube 18- (Figs. 1, 2.)

-A constructional form of the distributera -4'.5'- or collectors 4.5'- is illustrated by way of example in Figs. ti, 7, 8. Each apparatus consists of a massive square bar -21- of steel or other suitable material, in which is bored a channel -22- with which connects the inlet pipe -8'-- for the t'()ll||Il'tS.'-Kt gas or the discharge pipe --8' for the expanded "as; this pipe is connected with the massive )lOCk by means of a bridle -1t-- and the channel -22 is closed at its other end b means of a co iper stopper --2-t-. screwet to the block an hammered. in the block and perpendicularly to the channel --22- are bored short holes 25- communicating with said channel 22; connecting with-said pipes are the inlet ends -2" or 3'-' or the outlet ends -2'-- or said distributers are provided with -by'the threaded stop we 17 which are -3'-- of the freezing coils; said ends are connected with the back -2l-- by means of bridles. 'l'he openings between the holes --2t'|- and the hole -2.--- is regulated or stopped by means of cocks (6*.7 or 6' 7") provided with stems 2ti-- extendlng through packing spaces -27 aml actuated from the. outside by means of a suitable key, introduced into the holes .3-- in the plates -6'.'('- or -6".7" rigidly secured tothe outside endsof the stems -.!ti-. These stems are threaded at their lower part I! for a certain length ,whcreby they are adapted to be screwed into the'contran'ted threaded mltltll ;of the packing space --2i'-. Tie inner end of stem -:2('--'is beveled and when the stem is fully screwed in. closes the opening between the holes ---..'2.25 .Snitable paekings --ltinsure a tight fitting of the collector at the side of stems -2(l--, these latter being guided mounted in the bloc 21 by means of the threaded outer portions of the packing spaces 27.

By means of the collectors above described it is evidently possible, by manipulating the cocks, to control the ex )ansion in the ditl'erent freezing pipes, so t mt the required temperature may be obtained in cgirrespondenco with each layer of pi It is obvious that. t c coitcqtor above described, which is provided with six cocks corms mnding to the six tubes leading to the. coils, war have anyuunnbcr of cocks accordin to the number 'of tubes ending in the co ector. and this according to circumstances of the case. If for'instan e the distributer ----9-- or collector --SF-- (Figs. 1, 2, 5) is of the same type as that described it has only two stem cocks --10'.ll' and -l0.ll'. respectively, by means of which the distributers 4'..'i'--leailing the gas to the coils or the collectors 4"..'#- receiving the gas from the coils may be placed in or out of circuit.

The above described collectors, which can undergo strong pressure owing to their solid construction, are iarticularly advantageous in the case, In which the refrigm'ation is effectcd by means of the direct expansion of a compressed gas, especially when the gas dry carbonic acid, as in this casethe whole of the apparatus is submitted to very strong pressures.

It appears from the aforesaid that owin to the arrangement of the freezin pipes and the cocks in the distributors whi terminate the coils of the tank, it is possible to control as desired th freezing process of the mass to be fro i When the freezing process is over I bein the displacement as described. "I my atent N 761387, that is by sprinkling the frozen masswith the displacing solutions obtained in a pmvimis operation. In order to obtain an even sprinkling of the frozen mass and to etl'ect eventually the displacementin an atmosphere of an inert or reducing gas heavier than air, I employ here a reservoir ---29-- supported by chains -30- by means of a traveling crane --3l-- similar to that descrilaal and illustrated in my pending application .\'o. 363.527 or I employ any other form of sprinkling appa- 7 ratns. suitable for the pur mse of dischargiug the liquid evenly on t to surface of the frozen mass. The solutimis drawn from the from I mass under the displacing o icration are collected on the bottom of taut l-, sloping toward the tube lt serving successively for the dripping ot' the concentrated solutions and of the diluted olutions dripping afterward from the frozen mass, and lastly of the melting water of the ice left in the tank.

Around the bottom of the tank -l on the inside is arranged a tube -39" in which is bored :1 number of hole- ,which tube projecting from the tank at --l0-- serves for the injection of an inert or reducing 'as, for instance dr v carbonic acid or the like into the mass being frozen, for the purpose. of increasing the volume and permeability of the frozen mass when desired.

The plan shown in Fig. 12 will now be descrilxal. The same includes four freezing tanks l".l".l.l" H'-- is the comprcssor whose outlet pipe 12 is connected with the two condensers --l3.-llwhich may be used both at a time, by connecting them either in series or in parallel, or separately. In the condenser -43-- the usual cooling water is caused to circulate, while in the condenser --H- the water drawn from the melting iceeirculatcs. The refrigerated gas coming from the condenser or condensers reaches the distribnter --4t'-- through tie tube 45 The distr buter, constructet as hereinafter described, con-' trols the expansion of the gas by means of its pi tin and cocks and insures the proper distri itmn of the gas to the coils of the ditl'erent tanks. The gas is delivered to the 1 coils of the tanks through the tubes '--12'-.l2".l2'.12 goes through his batteries of coils'and' by means of the tubes -l8'.18- is conveyed into.the collector 47- similar to the distributor -tB-- from which through the suction pipe 4S-- it. goes back to com ressor -41-. -49 is a reservoir for tie cold water at 0 drawn fromathe melting ice left in the tanks, said water being discharged by the outlet tubes 38.38- of the tanks. 50-- is an intcrchanger, in which the oin tion to be concentrated drawn from the reservoir -51 by means of the pump -52--- is caused to circulate in .counter-current with cold water, for instance the, watcv t on of reservoir it before introducing it n.

the tanks. or the displacing solutions drawn from the tanks pumps Jot bct'ore ctl'ccting the displacelncltt. -:l:I"-- Is the reservoir of the concentrated solution.

It will be seen that the time necessary tor displacing hv osmosis the interposed solutions from the ice crystals being a function of the viscosity of the solution and of the percentage of ice separated in each operation, while the time necessary .for the congelation is also a function of the. ratio be- "twcen the volume of the solution to be. frozen and the. exchanging surface; also of the distance of the tubes from one another and of the ditl'erence between the gas evaporation temperature and the tenqa-rature ot' the solution, it is always xissible tp reduce to two the number of freezing tanks by controlling them in such a manner that the congelntion is etl'ected in a time equal to that required for all the displacing and ice melting operations. ilns tint required by the operations preeet ing the freezin while if the congelation is operated quick y a larger number of tanks will be necessary. I remark however that a nick eongelatiou does not reduce a crystal ized mass easily and even v permeable to the liquids.

Before describing how the above described plant works, the construction of the collec tors 4tl.-t7-- must be explained. Figs. t), 1t), 11 show a constructional form of the same. This collector. similar to that sure; it consists of a massive square bar -5(3-- of forged steel, inside of whit-h are.

bored len' thwise two holes 57.58--- then the four lioles -59-- per )endicular to the holes ---57.58--. in addition, eight holes oo" are provided perpelulicularly to the holes --i7.58.52 and short holes ---t3l- (Fig. it) connect the holes 5%) pith the outside. The latter connect through the ll(llt\ 34 the two inner holes -57.58. Said eomnmnicationof the two [)ll)0S---57.5H-- \\'ltlt one another is therefore opened or closed by means of the eight cocks -t52- arranged in the holes and actuated from the outside in a similar manner to those of F igs. 6, 7.- 8. The stems --t32-- are threaded on their lower ends (it! and thereby adapted to be screwed into the threaded portion of the hole ---ttO--. The. inner ends of the stems i2*"- ate beveled so that when fully screwed in, the openings between the.pipes ---:T.5S and 59 are closed. Suitable packings ----lt'- insure here as in the other constructional form above described, a tight. tit around the stems. Said stems are guided within a suitably threaded cap 'l7---. plug ----24--- of copper. is screwed in and sealed by hanunering thus serving to close by means of the are controlled for gas expansion. those repnf Figs. 6 to 8 can support the highest pres one sid the holes a'iififlaiti may be losed also at tiltother end l b v nit-am ot' a similar plu or may, as shown in Fi". ll. be threaded or receiv ing a tube leadlng to a manometer. To the pipes 57.58- art connected by means f bridles 35- the gas inlet and outlet pipes, while to the pipes -t'l---- are connected by means ot similar bridlcs the tubes leading to or from the coil batteries in the tanks.

lty the above. described arrangement of the collectors in the plant of Fig. 1.2. the working of the same will be. easily understood. as well as the modifications to be made when said collectors are to be used for a plant having a ditl'ercnt. numb r of tanks. In said plant, the two cpllectors are mounted as illustrat d, that IS the pi e -57 of collector --l from which the tubes -l2'.l2--- lead to the, coil batteries of the tanks, is connected with the tube -45--, while the pipe ---58 of the other (mllector --4'i'-- to which lead the tubes -15-".l8"-- coating from the freezing batteries of the tanks, is connected with the tubes ---48--; moreover the free pipes -:iS-- and 57- ot' the two collectors --it.4T-- respectively are connected one to another by means of the tube ti't'--. In Fig. t2 the cocks have been shown diagrammatically by circles. lhe cocks represented by a circle crossed by two lines are supposed to be closed. those crossed by a. single line 3 the bidet tov resented with the circle only are wide open. :ln order to give an example of the way in which the apparatus works, I suppose that tank -1"- is being frozen; tank --1"-- l: already frozen and the .lisplacenu-nt is going on: tank --l"--- where the displaeement has already been ctl'ceted contains the mass of ice crystals lel't' after the displacement is over and is being filled with cool water to melt. said ice; tank 1"-- is ready for being tilled with a fresh quantity of solution to be concentrated. in the coils immersed in tank ---l, in which the congelation is going on, the gas coming from the compressor rsevaporated. --1 in which the eongelation has been achieved and the dripping of the more concentrated solution is over, soften the layer of ice coating the freezing pipes before com-- meucing thedisplacement, as described in my pending )atcnt application Ser. No. 363,527; for this purpose it is convenient to cause the fluid to pass through the pipes in tank --1" before evaporatmg it. in the tubes running through tank l; in this way the heat absorbed by the ice layer coating the tubes are utilized for further cooling the gas before its expansion. For the -same purpose the gas may also be caused to pass before its expansion through the coils its In the tank 115- sible in order to obtain the greatest ossihle quantity of water cooled to 0", w \ich is caused to circulate in an interchanger, through which runs in an opposite direction the condensed gas going from the condenser to the coils of that freezing tank which is in turn actin as an evaporator. The cocks of the distrifiuters 46.47 are arranged for obtaining this circulation, that is to say the gas posted by the compressor passes through the tube 42- across the condenser or condensers through the tube 4l' and pipe fi7 of -46- and throu h the open cocks of this latter passes into t 0 tubes --12".12 runs through the coils immersed in tan 5 1".l and through the tubes 18".l8 and the open cocks of 47 reaches 57, whence through the tube -67- reaches the ipe -58- of -t6-- and through the cool? of this latter controlled for the expansion asses through the tube 12, expands in he coils o. --a comes back through --l8'- to the collector -47- and throu h the cock of this latter, comes back to tie compremwr through 58- and -48-.

From the above description it will be understood how the position of the cocks of mllectors -4ti.47- should be changed for.

etliectin the expansion of the t8 in the coils ofanothcr tank or for amp 0 ing the lizard icc coatin the ipcs of anot or tank for further 000 mg t to compressed gas before its ex mnsion.

The disp accment in tank -1"-, the meltin of the ice in tank -1"-- by means of a suitable quantit of refrigerating water and the charge of resh solutions in -1- are eflected exactly in the same way as described in my patent application No. 363,527.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for concentrating solutions by freezing comprising a rectangular freezing tank or basin of suitable material, straight tubes constituting the exchanging surface said tubesbeing arranged longitudinally' in the tank in horinontnl ranges, with fllcgiguofenchhonlon' tllrnnpdulmocted in manner as to form flat coils hiring .the coils of the odd bcginninion the le side of the tank endi on 4! right an those of the even n on the right and ending on a left; Go actors rovi ed with contro cocks and having he ends of said coils connected therewith; n perforated tube arranged in the tank bottom and extending to the outside, through which reducing gas is injected into the frozen mass; and a sprinkling device for shooting therein in horizontal rs emcee U the displacement of the conemitrntcd solution interposed thron 'h the ice crystals.

2. In an apparatus or concentrating sultrtions by freezing, the combination with the freezing tanks provided with tubes arranged lou itudinally therein; of collectors at the cf of the tank connected with said longitudinal tubes, each of said collectors consisting of an integral block provided with vertically arranged gas-inlct an outlct pi yes; a plurality of gas-distaibnti 1;: cocks lor controlling the How of gas the cthrou h; and cross channels connecting the as-ini ct and outlet pipes.

3. In a direct ex mnsion freezing and conccntratin" plant, I c combination of a plurality of ireezing ta iks provided with coils; a plurality of intcrchangcrs and reservoirs; an ice machine connected therewith by means of pipes controlled by cocks; distrihutcls for emitroilitogl the circulation of gas independently in each of said coils; a compressor for delivering gas under pressure to said distributors a reservoir for the water fltlll. the melting ice left in the tank a'fter the displacement is over; an interchanger for eoolmg the solutions to be concentrated or for the displacing solutions, a battery of two condensers for the as comin from the compressor,one beings apted to suppliedwith the ordinary refrigerating water, the other with water cooled to of, and means whereby the coils in on or more of said tanks, may act'as rcfrigemtors for the Lonmresscd gas coming from the condenser.

4. In combination with an apparatus of .the character described a collector constructed of a forged steel block or bar and provided within with longitudinal channels connecting on the outside with a gas-inlet and a gasoutlct pipe; a plurality of tanks provided with a plum ity of coils connecting with said collector; cross-pipes between suit gas-inlet and gas-outlet channels and a pair of cocks for each cross-channei whereby the size of the o .ning between said'longitudinal and sai cross-pip may be controlled at will.

5. In an apparatus for concentrating Solntions by freezing, the combination of a from:- ing tank; tubes arranged longitudinally ages to form a plurality of flat coils, said coils being formed to ride inlets and outlets arranged in we icsl planes at the ends of the tan and collectors provided with cocks for control.- lin ghthe through said inlets and outlets.

o y 4 ing s itication si ed at Tnrin,-Kim of taly, this 19t day of February,

EUDO MONT I.

In presence of Vrrsu SALVATORE, Anon on Rmswr. 

